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Grund (Stil I)
Stil I, also known as Grund, The Way of the Lion, or The Persistence Form, was the first of the ten stils of sword combat. Grund was intended to cater to swords, establishing the basic motions and target zones utilized with a sword. As Grund was effectively an experimental combat form, and was created prior to the emergence of Dark mutants and NoHeads, it did not address the issue of sword-to-sword combat, and was quickly replaced by Stil V. Despite this, Grund continued to find a niche as a training stil, with almost every duelist receiving some instruction in it, and including elements in their own combat styles. Grund was considered an effective fall-back option when no other stil or combat style would do. In combat, Stil I sword combat was wild and raw, relying on deliberate tactics and being primarily aimed towards disarming rather than injuring foes, in keeping with police philosophy. Basic initiates in the style demonstrated rather clumsy performance, though in the hands of a master, Grund was fluid but highly randomized and unpredictable. Description As the most ancient style of sword combat, coupled with its simplicity and persistent methods of the stil, Grund was dubbed the “Beginner Stil”. Grund swordplay was simplistic and raw. However, less adept practitioners displayed much more basic and somewhat clumsy performance. In combat, Stil I encouraged deliberate tactics, calling for continuous, step-by-step advancement while cutting off the opponent’s angles. Grund was specialized towards engaging multiple opponents, the wide, sweeping motions being ideally suited towards attacking numerous adversaries. However, Stil I was not as useful against single opponents, as such enemies had complete mobility and could find a weakness in Grund’s relatively clumsy bladework. Grund fostered an emotionally-heated mindset, which resulted in the considerable temptation to execute combat with lethal intent, requiring great restraint to exercise the form without going too far. Despite the pull to kill, the style was designed for the purpose of disarming without seriously injuring. As the most simplistic stil, Grund was the first stil taught to S.M.S.B. members as a foundation. Stil I training provided the basic knowledge of the sword-fighting principles and bullet-deflection skill that was required for practice of all the other stils. Under Matthew, training was conducted through the use of sequences and velocities, the continuous repetition making the moves instinctive reflexes. These training regimens were carried over to all following sword combat stils, which used similar methods. Grund philosophy emphasized victory without injury, and as such, the sun djem mark of contact was traditionally employed by Stil I practitioners. Keeping with the use of sun djem, one of the attacks utilized by Stil I practitioners was referred to as the “Disarming Slash”, consisting of a strike directed at the opponent’s weapon in an attempt to rip it out of their grasp. History As the most ancient style of sword combat, Grund was actually invented centuries before the First NoHead War. As a result of its long history, many of the maneuvers of Grund, such as attacks or parries, remained unchanged, as the key principles of the old fencing methods continued to be incorporated. The simplicity and persistent methods of the stil led it to being dubbed the “Beginner Stil”, a name it would keep well past the era of the Second S.M.S.B., akin to the 24th century, and was probably still in use while Madeline was alive. Notable practitioners As Grund had been in existence for centuries, and was used to provide early training in sword combat, almost all sword duelists received some level of training in it and included aspects of the form in their own fighting methods. Behind the Scenes Grund was first described in the Saber Danger Combat article, written by Melina Johnson and personally confirmed by D. Isaac Thomas, identified it as Stil I sword combat. The proper name of the form, "Grund", as well as its alternate titles as the "Persistence Stil" and the "Way of the Lion" would be specified in later sources. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stil I